Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Smooth Jazz Cruise making waves on water and land

“The Greatest Party at Sea” is sponsoring major jazz festivals and concert tours

Last year, Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (Jazz Cruises) asked their passengers to select the musicians they want to see perform on The Smooth Jazz Cruise 2012.Thus it only made sense when an unfortunate logistical situation forced the cancellation of Smokey Robinson’s performance that the St. Louis-based company went back to their guests to ask who should fill the gap. In addition to adding keyboardist Brian Culbertson, saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Euge Groove were the overwhelming fan favorites selected to join an already stellar lineup that will perform aboard the week-long Caribbean cruise sailing January 15-22 and January 22-29, 2012 aboard Holland America’s m/s Westerdam.

“It was fun to enlist the help of our guests to book the lineup for The Smooth Jazz Cruise 2012. After all, the cruise is for them, about them and only exists if they are pleased,” said Michael Lazaroff, executive director of Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (Jazz Cruises), producer of The Smooth Jazz Cruise, which in 2012 will sail from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Barth’s, and the private island of Half Moon Cay.

Grammy winner Whalum and chart-toppers Culbertson and Groove bolster a robust lineup of headliners including David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, Boney James, Rick Braun, Candy Dulfer, Eric Darius, DW3, Jeff Golub, Rahsaan Patterson, Patrice Rushen, Joe Sample, Brian Simpson and Peter White.Also added to the list of talent are Larry Braggs, Tom Braxton, Ellis Hall and Patches Stewart.On the heels of a recently premiered Showtime standup comedy special, comedian Alonzo Bodden returns to the ship to keep things light while Dane Butcher and Pat Prescott will be back to serve as cruise hosts of what is billed as “The Greatest Party at Sea.”With this much star power aboard a luxurious musical vacation, it’s no wonder the cruises sell-out each year with more than 60% of the guests being repeat cruisers.Already the cabins for 2012 are over 75% sold.

Not content with presenting the finest jazz musicians with top notch sound and production values on the sea, The Smooth Jazz Cruise will be the title sponsor of the 2011 Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, which marks its twenty-second year.Jazz Cruises will be the presenting sponsor of the DMS concert tour comprised of George Duke, Miller and Sanborn, a concept that was initially sparked by Lazaroff.Commencing May 28th at the House of Blues near Orlando , DMS will tour the U.S. with dates booked through August 31 concluding at the legendary Hollywood Bowl.Last week (April 13-17), The Smooth Jazz Cruise was the title sponsor of the perennially successful Seabreeze Jazz Festival, which took place in Panama City , Florida .

Lazaroff explained, “Jazz Cruises is dedicated to bringing jazz to our guests throughout the country. Besides our sponsorship of the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, The Vista All-Stars Series, Chicago Smooth Jazz Series and St. Louis Smooth Jazz Series, we are proud to be the title sponsor the first DMS tour, featuring George Duke, Marcus Miller and David Sanborn, who are frequent collaborators aboard The Smooth Jazz Cruise.We are also excited about being the title sponsor of the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival. At Jazz Cruises, our commitment to jazz is second to none.”

The Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, like the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, features a number of the artists who appear on The Smooth Jazz Cruise along with other icons from the genre.The Delaware-based event, slated for October 12-16, attracts contemporary jazz fans from the Tri-State area as well as up and down the East Coast.Lineup and ticket information is available at www.rehobothjazz.com.

In addition to providing guests with the best musical experiences possible, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, which sailed upon its maiden voyage in 2004, is an experiential vacation that offers passengers a wealth of opportunities to meet and interact with their favorite artists off-stage in an out-of-the-ordinary setting.While sailing in luxury to picturesque ports of call in the Caribbean , guests enjoy nightly headline concerts with unique artist pairings in a large showroom theatre as well as in more intimate lounges that foster spontaneous collaborations.Daytime activities aboard the ship include cocktail parties hosted by the musicians, autograph and question & answer sessions, informative panels, sporting events, and fun contests.Reservations can be made from the U.S. and Canada by calling toll-free 888.8JAZZ.US (888.852.9987) and internationally by placing a toll-free call to 800-8JAZZ.USA (800.852.99872).Further information is available at www.thesmoothjazzcruise.com.

About Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (Jazz Cruises)

The largest private music charter company in the world, St. Louis, Missouri-based Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (Jazz Cruises) owns, produces and promotes The Smooth Jazz Cruise and The Jazz Cruise (www.thejazzcruise.com), and is proud to partner with Time Life for The Malt Shop Memories Cruise (www.maltshopcruise.com).Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (Jazz Cruises) prides itself on providing first-class musical vacation experiences featuring marquee stars from their respective genres for loyal passengers, many of whom make the cruises an annual affair.With its current slate of excursions, Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC (Jazz Cruises) will have produced thirty-two full ship charter cruises.Additional information is available at www.jazzcruises-ecp.com.